High-Tech Christmas Light Displays Let it Show, Let it Show, Let it Show

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When Carson Williams of Mason, Ohio, posted a YouTube video of
his lively computer-synchronized Christmas display on his front
lawn a few years ago, the video went viral. Millions of online
viewers watched Williams' multi-colored lights in the form of
peace symbols, glowing stars and dancing trees, move in sequence
to the song "Wizards in Winter" by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Christmas display experts credit Williams' spectacle for
popularizing what was once just a niche hobby. Ever since that
video, consumer expectations of Christmas shows haven't been the
same.

"People used to be happy with just static Christmas lights
because it made them feel good," said Chuck Smith, publisher of
PlanetChristmas, a magazine for
Christmas decorating enthusiasts. “Now people expect lights,
sounds and a big production. As a result, many Christmas
decorators are giving their neighborhoods a show, and more of
these videos are showing up on YouTube."

Thanks to YouTube, people don't have to drive to see a light show
such as the one at the Larson home in Elburn, Ill., which uses
advanced floodlight
technology, or Richard Holdman's house in Pleasant Grove,
Utah, which features a low-power radio station that transmits
music into cars as people tune in and drive by.

Still, some hobbyists are willing to drive many miles – or even
fly – to see these light shows in person, clogging up
neighborhood traffic as they catch a peek.

"I'd travel far to see a lawn-show that's supposed to be great.
Although jumping on a plane might sound a bit much, there are
others out there with the passion to do it, too," said Jeff
Holmes of J. Holmes Productions, a company that works with
businesses to create Christmas displays.

Creating these shows has been propelled by technology, mainly
programmable light controllers and software. These products can
be purchased at specialty and chain stores for a couple of
hundred dollars.

Light-show controllers allow the Christmas lights to be plugged
into various channel outputs that manage the speed, audio and
effects. These systems can be operated manually or programmed to
run automatically.

"It makes running a show from inside a house simple, and the
technology is easy to find," Holmes said.

The price to keep the lights running isn't as high as you might
expect, Holmes added. Compared with static Christmas lights, lawn
shows that have lights blinking in intervals suck up less energy.
The availability of
LED lights is also better for the environment, he said.

DIY show

Preparing and executing a holiday spectacular for your lawn can
take months, but you don’t have to do it alone. There are forums
on sites such as PlanetChristmas.com to discuss techniques and
tips. Meanwhile, trade shows such as Pro Décor Expo and PLUS+ are
held each summer to get professionals and casual enthusiasts
thinking about what to do in the upcoming months.

"A lot of Christmas lights and equipment goes on sale from
January to May, so that is when a lot of hobbyists make their
purchases for their next show," Smith of PlanetChristmas said.
"Shows should also be tested months in advance; no one wants to
troubleshoot at the last minute or when snow is on the ground."

Some people go as far as hiring consultants to visit homes for
decorating help, according to Holmes.

"However, now that the control boxes are simpler than ever – and
come with select songs that you can use in the show – the set-up
for casual
hobbyists is easier than ever," Holmes said.

Installing radio transmitters is also a growing trend. Allowing
people to listen to the music in their cars as the light show
occurs is a far more popular technique these days than using
outdoor speakers, according to Smith.

"Speakers on your front lawn are so 20th-century," Smith said.
" Transmitters
usually blast frequencies up to about 150 yards away, so there is
good range. Plus the sound doesn’t annoy the neighbors."

Many businesses, too, are luring people through cutting-edge
Christmas light technology. SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla., is at the
forefront of this trend. The tourist attraction is using 75 trees
– from eight to 25 feet tall – for its 140,000-light show. All
but eight of the 75 trees are mounted in the middle of a big
lake. Every bulb on every tree is individually controlled, and
the display can change to one of 4,000 different colors on the
fly.

This is made possible by new LED-based RGB (for "red green blue")
lighting technology. These specialized bulbs contain computer
chips that manipulate color on demand. Since one light needs
three controls to set the intensity of each color, SeaWorld's
show involves 420,000 control channels, all run by a DMX device.
DMX equipment links
controllers, dimmers, advanced fixtures and special-effects
devices to easily manage all of the technology on the same
network.

The end result is so seamless that the images created on the
trees look as if a movie is playing. Another major accomplishment
in Christmas light technology is the largest computerized,
artificial tree in the world, residing in Guatemala City in
Central America. The tree, 145 feet tall and 57 feet in diameter,
holds a whopping 1.5 million lights. It debuted in November.

The tree dazzles as "Wizards in Winter" and other songs play in
synchronization with the lights’ movement.

"It's a joke in the industry that everyone hates 'Wizards in
Winter' by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra because it's used so
much. But it’s always a crowd-pleaser," said Holmes, whose
company worked to select the music for the Guatemala City show.
"That’s why it is so popular, especially in lawn shows that show
up on YouTube."

Moving forward

Smith believes RGB lights will hit it big with businesses in 2011
and that the technology could even come to homes.

"RGB is still new and pretty sophisticated, so you would have to
be pretty geeky to install them on your own lawn," Smith said.
"But the technology is already out there for some pretty amazing
things to happen.

"Although it's still a hobbyist profession, when the prices fall
– and they will – more
cutting-edge technology will be showing up on Christmas trees
near you."